PREPS: An interview with Escondido softball pitcher Lisa Akamine

The Escondido High softball team is 23-0-2 and ranked No. 1 in
San Diego County. Senior pitcher Lisa Akamine, who is bound for
Penn State, is the unquestioned leader.

Pitching against only the best teams, she's 10-0 with a 0.19 ERA
and a save. In 75 innings, she has 146 strikeouts, an average of
13.63 per game. She has 11 starts, 10 complete games and nine
shutouts. She has three wins over No. 2-ranked Mt. Carmel. Plus,
she's hitting .422 with a team-leading 22 RBIs.

Q: Are you a pitcher who hits or a hitter who
pitches?
A: I enjoy hitting in the No. 4 spot because
you're in the lineup every game. But I'm definitely a pitcher who
hits.

Q: Will you hit or pitch in college?
A: Pitch
mostly. But I hope to play the outfield, too.

Q: You're headed to Penn State in the fall. Why
there?
A: They sent me a recruiting letter and asked me to
visit. I researched the athletics and academics at the school and
decided to visit. When I got there, I loved the atmosphere.

Q: Did you go to a Penn State football game on your
visit?
A: Yes, and the atmosphere was amazing. They played
some black and yellow team, or was it blue and yellow? And the fans
were really into it.

Q: Will you go to football games when you're a student
there?
A: Without a doubt.

Q: What were you other final choices?
A: San
Diego State and Cal State Fullerton.

Q: Does going so far away from home concern
you?
A: Softball has taken me all over. I've been to the
East Coast, but never been on my own. I'm looking forward to
experiencing something different.

Q: Your sister, Sarah, plays for Arizona. Were you
tempted to join her?
A: Not really. It would have been
cool to play with my sister, but Arizona suited her, and I believe
Penn State suits me.

Q: Do you enjoy playing with your younger sister, Hannah
(a freshman), at Escondido?
A: Yes. I got the chance to
play with both my sisters here, but not at the same time. That's
pretty cool.

Q: All three sister are softball players. How did it
start?
A: Sarah's best friend played in the ESGL
(Escondido Girls Softball League). So she got into it. We'd watch
her games and thought it looked like fun.

Q: Did you play any other sports?
A: I played
soccer when I was younger, but I liked softball better. So I stuck
with it.

Q: Do you have a go-to pitch?
A: My rise ball.
Oops, maybe I shouldn't let that out. Oh well. When it's not
working, I'll go to the drop. Honestly, it depends on the day, the
team and what's working.

Q: What's the most important thing a softball pitcher
must have?
A: I believe it's a dominating mind-set. You
have to focus on winning so you can overcome any situation that
comes up. After that, I think it's stamina.

Q: What's the limit of a softball pitcher? How many
games could you pitch in a day or a week if you had to?
A:
I've thrown 4 1/2 games in a day, so you can pitch a bunch -- with
limitations. Pitching a softball is a natural motion, so your arm
doesn't take a beating. But your legs get tired and your body gets
sore. Ideally, I'd like to pitch two games a week. More than that
can wear you down.

Q: You only pitch in the big games. Do you enjoy that
challenge?
A: Very much. I practice like it's a game. My
mind-set is that every batter I face is the game-winning run.

Q: Do you ever wonder what your stats would be if you
pitched every game like most softball pitchers do?
A: No.
I pitch every game to the best of my ability. Stats don't
matter.

Q: Your coach, Cary Weiler, was a great one in his day
(pitching in the Navy and for the Vista Bombers of the Western
Softball Congress). Is the team aware of his background?
A: We know he was a pretty good player. He pitches live batting
practice to us, and you can see that he's still good.

Q: How much has his knowledge of the game helped you and
the pitching staff?
A: A lot. We wouldn't be where we are
without him. I've improved a lot playing for him. I think we all
enjoy playing for him.

Q: Do you consider yourself the team leader?
A:
Absolutely. I've been on the varsity four years, and I know the
routine, what's expected of us. It's my responsibility to help the
younger players. And I think Hannah will fill my spot some day.

Q: Three years ago, did you dream you'd be in a position
to go for a CIF championship three-peat?
A: Honestly, I
did think we could do it. Still, we take things one year at a time.
We never want to get ahead of ourselves.

Q: What would it mean to hang one more CIF championship
banner in the gym?
A: It would be great to finish high
school as a champion.